Brother; In God We Trust, All Others Pay Cash

"Brother" by Ania Ahlborn was really good, creepy as hell and that ending! Michael Morrow has grown up in a remote farmhouse in a family of killers. His older brother, Rebel, regularly picks up hitchhikers and brings them back to the house for their mother to kill, although the whole family gets in on the fun. Michael is disgusted by it, but isn't sure how to get out. He knows the Morrows adopted him, that his real family abandoned him, and he feels guilty for not being more grateful to them. Then Rebel introduces him to a girl named Alice, and Michael dreams of running away with her and starting a new, normal life. Then Rebel's vicious plan is revealed. I sort of figured part of it out, but it was still brutal. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

"A Christmas Story" has become one of the most iconic Christmas movies of all time, and I kept meaning to read the book by Jean Shepherd that it was based on "In God We Trust, All Others Pay Cash". It was cute, Jean reminisces about what it was like, growing up in Indiana during the Depression. It was funny and light. On a side note, I found out yesterday my mother has never seen "A Christmas Story"! I turned it on and she didn't know it. I didn't think there was a way to avoid it during this time of year, but she's somehow managed.

Mrs. Bennet Has Her Say; Woody; 50 Years 50 Moments

I was disappointed by Jane Juska's take on "Pride and Prejudice". It started out promisingly enough, but just descended into ridiculousness and silliness, and not Jane Austen silliness. It's too bad, because I think hearing from Mrs. Bennet would be fun, if done well.

I am a die hard Woody Allen fan, I have been ever since I was a kid, watching all his movies, reading all the bios of him I could get my hands on. I enjoyed this one by David Evanier. He writes gushingly of Allen's genius and didn't gloss over the ugliness with Mia Farrow. It made me want to rewatch all of my favorite Allen movies, so after I finished it I watched "Annie Hall" and "Manhattan" (because "Play it Again, Sam" wasn't On Demand). So much fun.

There are a lot of books out or coming out right now commemorating the 50th anniversary of the Super Bowl, and yes, I'm probably going to read them all. They're obviously a little repetitive, but it's still fun, reliving the best moments from my favorite games. Go Packers! :)

I Feel Like Going On; Twain's End

"I Feel Like Going On" by Ray Lewis was a quick read. He comes off as very arrogant, but most professional athletes are, I think, it's that fierce competitiveness that makes them great. I always enjoyed watching Ray Lewis play for the Ravens (unless, of course, they were playing my Packers). Clay Matthews reminds me of him, just super passionate about making plays and always after the ball. He had a rough start in life for sure and he's definitely had his trials, but he's had a lot of good things happen to him too, and he seems grateful, which is always nice to see.

I do so love Mark Twain. I'll finish those big bricks of his autobiography someday, I swear :) In this fictionalized account of the last years of his life, Lynn Cullen examines Twain's relationship with his secretary, Isabel Lyon. She seemed closer to him than anyone else, and after his beloved wife, Livy, passed away there were rumors the two of them were going to wed. Isabel abruptly married Ralph Ashcroft, a business associate of Twain's (or, more correctly, Clemens'). Twain gave his blessing on the union...and then a month later fired both of them and he and his daughter, Clara, set out on a nasty campaign to ruin their reputations, taking away the house he had bought for her and publishing terrible things about her. Cullen imagines, based on research and Lyon's diary, that she and Twain were indeed having an affair and Lyon married Ashcroft to save Twain's reputation, but in the process injured the older man's pride, causing him to lash out. It was well written and engaging, I enjoyed it.

Sinatra: the Chairman; Super Bowl: the first 50 Years of America's Greatest Game

So back in November of 2010 I read Kaplan's "Frank: the Voice" and loved it. I did however wonder at the odd stopping point. Now I know! He was planning a sequel! Hurray!
And what a splendid sequel it was. It was 900 pages, but I didn't want to put it down. The last twenty years of his life did feel a bit rushed, but I suppose that's to be expected, since he stopped making films and pretty much stopped recording in the studios, just played concerts when he was able. What an amazing life, an amazing man. Kaplan did an excellent job, I thoroughly enjoyed it. Since this is the 100 anniversary of his birth, I'm expecting to indulge in a lot more Sinatra in the next few weeks.

From one passion to the next: football! I do love this time of year.
"The Super Bowl" by David Fischer took a look at some of the more memorable match ups, highlighted the ones who never seem to lose as well as the ones who haven't yet won. He mentions outstanding performances and crushing defeats. It was exciting and fun, especially reliving some of my favorite games.